A bit worried about this process.

[Sarah7]

OK Rich S xxx

[decoyplankton]

Hi Sarah,
I've had a look at some of the stuff you've been talking about and have noticed some other things that perhaps might be closer to the truth. In the light of what you have said, I think that some of my other ideas about emotions being invoked by thought may not be entirely right. I say that tentatively :-) .

OK a little test. Think yourself to be happy - right now. Do it! Make it happen! Does it? Try it with any emotion you like - can it made to happen from thought.

No! I've tried this a few times. I can't make myself feel happy by just thinking myself happy. It doesn't work. Nor can I make myself love something or feel anxious by just thinking. So thinking about an emotion alone can't invoke it. For example I can't hate the computer by just looking at it and trying to think "hate". But if the computer started doing its own thing (as sometimes computers tend to do !!), and not what I wanted it to do, or it lost all my information, or wouldn't print a document for some reason, then this could invoke an emotion (probably not as strong as hate, but close :-). So it seems that emotions are brought about by the experience of events and not by thought.

However - and I'm not certain about this bit - there still seems to be a back door into emotion. For example, when I think of an event that has happened in the past, the death of a relative for example, it can still make me feel sad almost to the point of tears yet this experience is not happening now, it's in the past, possibly years in the past. Could it be that some memories are so strong that I buy into them fully and they become direct experience now???

It's not quite the same when trying to invoke emotions from events that may happen in the future. For example I tried to imagine myself winning the lottery !! Although it was not an unpleasant fantasy, I can't say it made me feel excited or euphoric or happy. But rather set of a train of thought about what I would do with all the money. There were parts that made me smile, but no emotion was as strong as thinking about actual events in the past. Could it be that emotion was lacking because I was unable to relate to this fantasy because I knew it hadn't actually happened?

So maybe emotion happens when an experience calls for it. That experience could either be directly happening NOW, or a very strong memory that is powerful enough to seem like NOW.

Now where do thoughts come from? Do you make them come and go? can you make thinking happen?

This is more complicated (as if the last bit was simple ! ).

Where do thoughts come from? The answer to that as far as I can tell is "I don't know". They are not started by me! But what I've noticed is that most of the time there is very little original thought going on. Mostly there is commentary, lots of it. Commentary seems to deceive me into thinking that I am thinking about something when in fact I'm just filling in the gaps until the thinking arrives. Hope that doesn't sound stupid.
It feels like constant noise occasionally embellished by some new thought that takes the commentary along a different track.

See if you can catch you deciding what to think before it is thought!

I can't see any mechanism for this. It's not possible that I am deciding what to think before it is thought. Otherwise it would already have been thought. If it were true, then when was the decision to make the pre-thought thought made ? And what about the thought that preceded that one??

What I have observed is that when a problem needs to be solved, I tend to use my senses to look at the issue (talking about practical problems here - I'm not a theorist ). It's a bit like trying a jigsaw piece a various different angles and rotations, and if it doesn't fit, another idea of what might fit comes from that. But it's not my idea or thought, it just comes kind of from nowhere. But I have to provide the stimulus in the first place via my senses. I couldn't just sit at a jigsaw and think it done.

I don't think I've explained that very well, but it's as close as I can get at the moment. Sorry..

I'm still on the look out for who's making the choices. But I don't think I'm going to find anyone am I ??? That's a bit scarey to be honest.

Anyway enough for tonight,

Take care

Rich.

[Sarah7]

Hi Rich
Again – great noticing and looking! And you explain yourself VERY well!

No! I've tried this a few times. I can't make myself feel happy by just thinking myself happy. It doesn't work. Nor can I make myself love something or feel anxious by just thinking. So thinking about an emotion alone can't invoke it. For example I can't hate the computer by just looking at it and trying to think "hate". But if the computer started doing its own thing (as sometimes computers tend to do !!), and not what I wanted it to do, or it lost all my information, or wouldn't print a document for some reason, then this could invoke an emotion (probably not as strong as hate, but close :-). So it seems that emotions are brought about by the experience of events and not by thought.

OK lets look at story. Story is one thought following another. Story is a thought following a sensation trying to explain it of link it to past or future. Story is thought based on habitual responses. Story explains, describes and labels everything. Some stories are useful. Look at you own thinking and thoughts to see this.
Take say 5 minutes and just observe the thinking that happens. Notice how much of it is based on the past. Notice how much is based on the future. Notice how much of it is based on the NOW. See how many are based on habit – e.g. usual thoughts, or usual responses to situations etc.
See how many thoughts link with the previous thought. See if thoughts are linked to a particular sensation or feeling. See how thoughts exaggerate and build the story, explaining and expanding as they go. Is there identification with stories and thoughts in general?
To begin with you may not notice story till after the story has been thought. You may notice during and occasionally you may notice at the start. Most go unnoticed. However when noticing happens – smile.
Is it possible to stop stories or to control stories? Is it possible to NOT be identified with thoughts and stories? If so how and by what? Are thoughts and stories just part of what is?

However - and I'm not certain about this bit - there still seems to be a back door into emotion. For example, when I think of an event that has happened in the past, the death of a relative for example, it can still make me feel sad almost to the point of tears yet this experience is not happening now, it's in the past, possibly years in the past. Could it be that some memories are so strong that I buy into them fully and they become direct experience now???

OK – here are you experiencing the past, or are you actually experiencing a thought or thoughts now? And with that thought or thoughts – a story has been attached? Is there a reaction possibly based on habit also attached to this story? Have a look.

It's not quite the same when trying to invoke emotions from events that may happen in the future. For example I tried to imagine myself winning the lottery !! Although it was not an unpleasant fantasy, I can't say it made me feel excited or euphoric or happy. But rather set of a train of thought about what I would do with all the money. There were parts that made me smile, but no emotion was as strong as thinking about actual events in the past. Could it be that emotion was lacking because I was unable to relate to this fantasy because I knew it hadn't actually happened?

I'm still on the look out for who's making the choices. But I don't think I'm going to find anyone am I ??? That's a bit scarey to be honest.

Please keep me informed as to your feelings of fear Rich - I have a very good exercise for looking right at it. OK.
OK – can you see the link between these two noticing’s? Is this fear based on a future thought/s? Have a look.

Where do thoughts come from? The answer to that as far as I can tell is "I don't know". They are not started by me! But what I've noticed is that most of the time there is very little original thought going on. Mostly there is commentary, lots of it. Commentary seems to deceive me into thinking that I am thinking about something when in fact I'm just filling in the gaps until the thinking arrives. Hope that doesn't sound stupid.
It feels like constant noise occasionally embellished by some new thought that takes the commentary along a different track.

Excellent! Now – can you control thought in any way shape or form? Give me an example if you can.
Does thought have power? If so what? Can thought do anything? Can thought think?

What I have observed is that when a problem needs to be solved, I tend to use my senses to look at the issue (talking about practical problems here - I'm not a theorist ). It's a bit like trying a jigsaw piece a various different angles and rotations, and if it doesn't fit, another idea of what might fit comes from that. But it's not my idea or thought, it just comes kind of from nowhere. But I have to provide the stimulus in the first place via my senses. I couldn't just sit at a jigsaw and think it done.

Do thoughts make a link between thoughts? Out of thought – are thoughts linked? Where do thoughts go?
Big hugs Sarah xxx

[decoyplankton]

Hi Sarah,
Hope you enjoyed your short break this week. Thanks for keeping posting during your holiday.

You've given me some very interesting tasks to look at. I have to admit I'm struggling to find time at the moment to really give this the time it deserves, but I am trying to sneak a bit of looking/thinking time throughout the day and in the evenings.

At the moment we're very busy preparing for a two week holiday and I'm trying to tie things up at work too. So sorry if I don't post something everyday, at the moment it's not that easy. I will be on holiday for two weeks starting on Monday, but I'll try to post if I can although it will be from my phone when I manage to get a wifi signal and I can't guarantee how regularly this will be. So please don't give up on me I'm still here :-) .

The good thing is I will have plenty of time to investigate what you've asked me to look at during the next couple of weeks.

Take say 5 minutes and just observe the thinking that happens. Notice how much of it is based on the past. Notice how much is based on the future. Notice how much of it is based on the NOW. See how many are based on habit – e.g. usual thoughts, or usual responses to situations etc.
See how many thoughts link with the previous thought. See if thoughts are linked to a particular sensation or feeling. See how thoughts exaggerate and build the story, explaining and expanding as they go. Is there identification with stories and thoughts in general?

At the moment I'm working on this. I have already been aware for some time how thinking creates stories and how I can easily get attached to them, but I am going to look at this more closely. I think stories and my attachment to them is one of my major stumbling blocks. I can easily get wound up about something that happened years ago, or about something that hasn't happened yet - or may never happen. I'd love to be able to stand back and watch this process roll out whilst remaining completely unattached to it. But again and again I find myself drawn in to these stories. When I catch myself doing this it stops, only to restart again soon afterward.

I'll keep looking at this and all the other stuff over the weekend and will post again before I go away on holiday. I'll try to figure out exactly what I'm afraid of too. It's hard to pin down exactly but it's mostly to do with how things may change for me if I complete this process successfully. I don't want to end up living in a cave with a long beard and eating wild berries !! (joke)

Take care

Rich

[Sarah7]

Hi Rich

At the moment we're very busy preparing for a two week holiday and I'm trying to tie things up at work too. So sorry if I don't post something everyday, at the moment it's not that easy. I will be on holiday for two weeks starting on Monday, but I'll try to post if I can although it will be from my phone when I manage to get a wifi signal and I can't guarantee how regularly this will be. So please don't give up on me I'm still here :-) .

I suggest maybe you take a note book – print out all that needs to be looked at and make notes based on what you see. Don’t worry about posting. Take the 2 weeks and really look. Does that sound more manageable?

I'd love to be able to stand back and watch this process roll out whilst remaining completely unattached to it. But again and again I find myself drawn in to these stories. When I catch myself doing this it stops, only to restart again soon afterward.

But you do see it! Doesn’t matter when – only to thought would it matter – do you see this? If so :)

I'll try to figure out exactly what I'm afraid of too. It's hard to pin down exactly but it's mostly to do with how things may change for me if I complete this process successfully.

With this – see if the fear is from a thought or thoughts. It would be useful to see what if possible – then we can pick it apart. But as to what you say here – is that a future thought? What is that future thought based on? Expectations? From where? What you have read or imagined? Can you see this? Is any of this fear based on what you are actually experiencing? By that I mean sensation etc that I wrote for you before. Then look at the power of thought – I think I write a lot on this last time????? What does thought control? What power does it have?

I don't want to end up living in a cave with a long beard and eating wild berries !! (joke)

No beard here! But I do like berries!!!!!
Lots of Love Sarah xxx

[decoyplankton]

Hi Sarah,

Thanks for your suggestion about taking a notebook on holiday etc. That would certainly make things easier and I would be able to post as and when I can. Hopefully I can get the opportunity to post at some point and I will be able to be more focused on what I have looked at because I've had time to really investigate.

But you do see it! Doesn’t matter when – only to thought would it matter – do you see this? If so :)

Now you say this, Yes, I can see that it doesn't really matter when the seeing occurs, only that seeing has occurred. When you say

only to thought would it matter

I think you mean (correct me if I'm wrong) that it's only when I'm identified with the thought that "I haven't really seen something in time, therefore it doesn't really count as seeing" - that thought has power over me, and takes me away from what's really happening yet again. Is this true? It feels like thought will do anything to hide what is really occurring here.

I'm still working on all the stuff you've asked of me, and I promise to get back to you ASAP on all of it but I need time to investigate.

Meanwhile, my mind went off on a bit of a tangent this evening when I was thinking about happiness and the constant craving for it by me and almost everyone I know. I'm trying to look at things in a different way and this process is part of that, and is already changing the way I see things. So with this in mind, I started to consider "am I happy, if not what will it take to make me happy, and what constitutes happiness anyway ?"

I looked at this for a few minutes and I was struck with the realisation that happiness is not a "thing" to get to. It's not a destination! instead it seems that happiness is almost the exclusion of the need to pursue happiness. I feels to me that happiness is sort of a carrot on the end of a stick - the constant striving for something more than there is at the moment. That could equally mean material possessions, or a professional or social situation, or a state of mind . And then it kind of struck me that happiness is the cessation of the quest for happiness. In other words the more you pursue it the father away it gets, which sounds counter intuitive when you consider the traditional ways of seeking happiness. So I have concluded that happiness is here every moment, and that you just have to see that and reach out and take it, to get it. In other words, you need to stop reaching for the carrot !!

It's easy to say and I guess It's so obvious - and I'm not the first one to say it , but I've never thought about it before in this way. I've read things that talk about happiness in the same way, but I have never really "seen" the reality of this. I hope this is not getting off track too much. If so, give me a whack, and I'll get back to where I need to be.

Will post again soon, probably tomorrow - which will be the last time for a while.

Take care

Rich

[Sarah7]

Hi Rich

Now you say this, Yes, I can see that it doesn't really matter when the seeing occurs, only that seeing has occurred. When you say only to thought would it matter I think you mean (correct me if I'm wrong) that it's only when I'm identified with the thought that "I haven't really seen something in time, therefore it doesn't really count as seeing" - that thought has power over me, and takes me away from what's really happening yet again. Is this true? It feels like thought will do anything to hide what is really occurring here.

Yes!!!!! Do you see this? Look. Ask yourself - what is wrong with right now out of thought? Now that doesn’t mean that thought is ‘bad’. But we need to look at the power of thought – what is it that thought can actually do. Can thought actually think? Can thought do anything – e.g. walk you around? Can thought control anything? Now we will take these slowly! One by one! So don’t worry about them just yet! Deal with the outstanding questions first OK.

I looked at this for a few minutes and I was struck with the realisation that happiness is not a "thing" to get to. It's not a destination! instead it seems that happiness is almost the exclusion of the need to pursue happiness. I feels to me that happiness is sort of a carrot on the end of a stick - the constant striving for something more than there is at the moment. That could equally mean material possessions, or a professional or social situation, or a state of mind . And then it kind of struck me that happiness is the cessation of the quest for happiness. In other words the more you pursue it the father away it gets, which sounds counter intuitive when you consider the traditional ways of seeking happiness. So I have concluded that happiness is here every moment, and that you just have to see that and reach out and take it, to get it. In other words, you need to stop reaching for the carrot !!

WOW! :) What wants happiness Rich – is it thought? What wants more than ‘this’ now – is it thought? Can you catch thought saying either – can you catch thought wanting more than this minute? Out of thought – what is wrong with right now?
Big hugs Sarah xxx

[decoyplankton]

Hi Sarah
I'm going to take your advice and print out some of the stuff we've been talking about and take the time to really look.

It's very tempting to tackle your questions about the power of thoughts first. But I will try to get to grips with some of the other outstanding questions first.

I will post when I can over the next two weeks.

Really appreciate your help with this,

Take care, Rich.

[Sarah7]

Have a good holiday Rich!
Hugs Sarah xxx

[decoyplankton]

Hi Sarah,
I'm back! Bet you thought you'd seen me off ..... but No ! I'm back for more :-)

I've had a bit of time to look at some stuff we've been talking about in a bit more detail and have made some notes. Here are my thoughts so far .....

Fears :-
Most of my fears are based on a future projection. In this imaginary future I have completed the process and have seen through the illusion of a separate self, but things have changed for me. I am no longer the person I was. My personality has perhaps changed and my family find me a bit weird. Possibly I find that I can't go on living the same life as before. I feel that I can't go back, but equally , I can't continue life as it was. So there is a dilemma. I don't want to feel as though I am compelled to make big changes that can perhaps affect my family in a bad way.
All this of course is a story. I don't want it to become a reality.

About thoughts and who or what wants happiness :-
It's not thought that wants happiness. It's "me" that wants life without wanting. Life without attachment to thought. (Which is peace). Thought only labels, opinionates, and comments on sensory input. Some of this is useful but most is not necessary or helpful. Some is destructive

Take say 5 minutes and just observe the thinking that happens. Notice how much of it is based on the past. Notice how much is based on the future. Notice how much of it is based on the NOW. See how many are based on habit – e.g. usual thoughts, or usual responses to situations etc

Thought creates stories by building on initial thoughts that are usually the result of input from senses eg an overheard conversation, or witnessing a scene. The initial thought may have some basis in truth but the story usually is wildly off target. Thoughts stick to each other creating these stories like snowflakes binding together. Habitual thoughts are thoughts that always create the same thought chain. For example when someone fails to indicate at a roundabout, I always go through the same commentary and the same annoying emotion.
Thoughts link to each other and may reference the past and invoke past emotions or may project the future and start off the story process .

Is there identification with stories and thoughts in general?

Yes I get dragged into this all the time. Continuing with the above example about failing to indicate at a roundabout, this is my "pet hate", which says it all really when talking about habitual responses.
But I do tend to identify with this. It's as if "me" and my habitual response creates an identity that says "This is me! I am a person who always indicates at a roundabout. Therefore I'm better than you. This is what makes me different to you"
In creating this identification it immediately separates me from all else that is going on.

Does thought have power? If so what? Can thought do anything? Can thought think?

This is still a tricky one. and I know some of these answers are wrong but here goes anyway ...

Can thought think ?
No I don't believe it can. It's kind of like some shrink that you see in the movies holding up ink blots and saying "tell me what you see". It's just a picture or a suggestion of a picture that sets off a chain reaction or story or interlinking thought. It's just the first domino that topples the rest.
Thinking about thought is difficult because there is no way to think of it that's not biased by it. I can never think about the nature of thought without the act of thinking influencing the outcome. There must be another way to see it ??

Then look at the power of thought – I think I write a lot on this last time????? What does thought control? What power does it have?

Thought has no power other than the power of distraction. Distraction from what I really want which is to be free of wanting. It's the wanting that's really the problem. Wanting more than there is now or at least something other than what is. Wanting to be somewhere else, doing something else, being with someone else or no one else. Thought creates this tension between what could be and what is. That's its power. It doesn't actually control anything but it suggests things and that tension results in a physical response sometimes.

I hope you can make some sense out of these random thoughts Sarah. It's just some notes I took while on holiday when I had some time to consider deeply what we have discussed. Fear is not such a big issue at the moment, but I tried to explain the basis of it in my first paragraph. It's pretty much all to do with the effect on other people. If I were living alone and had no dependents my worries would be fewer.

Anyway Nice to be back.

Kind regards

Rich

[Sarah7]

Hi Rich
Lovely to hear from you! Hope you had a lovely holiday.

Most of my fears are based on a future projection

Thought has no power other than the power of distraction.

OK – now looking at these two statements – if thoughts have no power – what is there to fear?
Where do thoughts come from? Where do they go? Do you do either – bring them or get rid of them? So if neither – then who or what is affected by distraction? When you say ‘you’ what are you pointing at? What exactly are these thoughts or distractions referring to?

About thoughts and who or what wants happiness :-

It's not thought that wants happiness. It's "me" that wants life without wanting.

OK – look again. What or where is this ‘me’ you are referring to? Without the thought ‘I want’ – is there a problem? Without the story that thoughts attach to ‘want’ – is there a problem? Take your time here – look.

Thought has no power other than the power of distraction.

What is distracted? Thought? You? If thought has no power - how does it distract?
Big hugs Sarah xxx

[decoyplankton]

Hi Sarah,

Where do thoughts come from? Where do they go? Do you do either – bring them or get rid of them? So if neither – then who or what is affected by distraction? When you say ‘you’ what are you pointing at? What exactly are these thoughts or distractions referring to?

OK I've tried to find out where thoughts come from. I cant seem to get where they originate from except that I've noticed that when a thought arises, it quickly sets of a chain of thought. It's hard to get to the original thought that starts it all off. Even if I try to deliberately think of something specific, the thoughts start of quite abstract until a collection of past experiences sort of morph into what I have tried to conjure up. So the process seems to be not altogether in my control. For example, If I try to think of a car, I cannot just think "car" and , bang, it's there in my head. Instead It starts off with the word itself, then abstract images, then cars I once had or still have. It's a chain process - a referencing process that my brain does, and it all starts off with the association made between the word and the thought.

So I guess that a lot of thought comes from an association with spoken (or thought) words.

As to where thoughts go, I can't answer that. It seems that once the thought has been acknowledged, it's usefulness is done and it simply ceases, because another thought has taken attention away from it.

if thoughts have no power – what is there to fear?

Good point!! You're right, my fears are based on thoughts about thoughts. If thoughts have no power, then being afraid of them is not rational.

I had another small breakthrough last night while "thinking" about this.....
I have read that "I" is just another thought. I don't see this yet but I will say that it's true on an intellectual level for the moment. So how can I prove that to be the case ? I reasoned that if "I" is just another thought then if I stopped thinking completely, which is possible for me if only for brief periods, then I would cease to exist !! I tried to be still and stop all thoughts for a few moments and discovered afterward that I still exist!!

Therefore the "I" that is just a thought cannot be me. I (as in the entity that is me) must be something other than thought. So I need to look to see what this other I really is ...

What or where is this ‘me’ you are referring to? Without the thought ‘I want’ – is there a problem? Without the story that thoughts attach to ‘want’ – is there a problem?

I think the answer to this can be referred back to the last bit I wrote above. The bit about I being another thought. It feels logical to say that the "me" that wants stuff is just another thought. Its a thought invoking other thoughts to create a need for something other than there is now. Without the thought " I want" there is no problem. So I (the real I, not the thought I) needs to disassociate from the thought "I" in order to not be drawn into this chain reaction.

It's getting a bit complicated now Sarah. I hope you can follow my thought processes on this even if they may be wrong.

Hope to hear from you soon.

Rich.

[Sarah7]

Hi Rich

OK I've tried to find out where thoughts come from. I cant seem to get where they originate from except that I've noticed that when a thought arises, it quickly sets of a chain of thought.

So thought thinks? Or thoughts start other thoughts? Do you actually experience that – a thought thinking or a thought bringing about another thought? Or is it thought that say following thoughts are connected? And that really it is one single thought following another single thought?

So the process seems to be not altogether in my control.

What thoughts do you control? Give me an example.

Good point!! You're right, my fears are based on thoughts about thoughts. If thoughts have no power, then being afraid of them is not rational.

OK so now this is seen – look next time fear pops up – see the future thoughts trying to attach – notice what sensations there are present and how story thoughts try to attach to that too.

I had another small breakthrough last night while "thinking" about this.....
I have read that "I" is just another thought. I don't see this yet but I will say that it's true on an intellectual level for the moment. So how can I prove that to be the case ? I reasoned that if "I" is just another thought then if I stopped thinking completely, which is possible for me if only for brief periods, then I would cease to exist !! I tried to be still and stop all thoughts for a few moments and discovered afterward that I still exist!! Therefore the "I" that is just a thought cannot be me. I (as in the entity that is me) must be something other than thought. So I need to look to see what this other I really is ...

Lovely noticing! Now look for this! Verify it!
What or where is this ‘me’ you are referring to? Without the thought ‘I want’ – is there a problem? Without the story that thoughts attach to ‘want’ – is there a problem?

It feels logical to say that the "me" that wants stuff is just another thought. Its a thought invoking other thoughts to create a need for something other than there is now. Without the thought " I want" there is no problem. So I (the real I, not the thought I) needs to disassociate from the thought "I" in order to not be drawn into this chain reaction.

Do you think the real I is actually affected by anything that appears or is experienced? Kind of like a mirror – is it affected by any of the reflections? Or the ocean by a single wave?
Can you control not being drawn into? Is that possible?
Hugs Sarah xxx

[decoyplankton]

Hi Sarah,

I need to look at some of the stuff you've given me to do. But in the meantime there are some questions you have asked that I feel I can answer now, or at least pose another question back.

So thought thinks? Or thoughts start other thoughts? Do you actually experience that – a thought thinking or a thought bringing about another thought? Or is it thought that say following thoughts are connected? And that really it is one single thought following another single thought?

Ok so you are suggesting that thoughts are not connected? I don't see this. What I see when a thought arises about a subject are lots of thoughts on the theme of that subject. If they weren't connected why aren't they just random. They don't appear to be random at least when I try to think of a specific object or subject.
Or maybe you're suggesting that the thoughts although on the same theme are connected by nothing other than the theme. In other words one thought doesn't invoke another, some other mechanism ensures that the next thought is on the same theme. Many thoughts arise based on the theme some are accepted some are rejected (now you're going to ask me who or what accepts or rejects - I bet !!) .

What thoughts do you control? Give me an example.

I didn't quite mean that I could control thoughts. I meant quite the opposite. When I try to think of something like an object, the process seems to be ; first the word (usually an image of the actual text), then images trying to match the word until a best fit solution is found. The process is not in my control. If you said to me "think of a white elephant", I wouldn't be able to instantly picture an elephant - perfect in every detail. It doesn't work like that, at least not in my head.

Need more time to look at these things .....

What or where is this ‘me’ you are referring to? Without the thought ‘I want’ – is there a problem? Without the story that thoughts attach to ‘want’ – is there a problem?

Do you think the real I is actually affected by anything that appears or is experienced? Kind of like a mirror – is it affected by any of the reflections? Or the ocean by a single wave?
Can you control not being drawn into? Is that possible?

I will get back to you on these two points. I like to take a bit more time to look at this if possible.

Take care

Rich

[Sarah7]

Hi Rich
Time is not a problem Rich – please tell me if I give you too much! OK.

Ok so you are suggesting that thoughts are not connected? I don't see this.

Have you ever experienced total random thoughts? Even in and amongst some thoughts that appeared to make sense?
Im asking you to look and question – we ‘think’ we know so much – but do we really? And what if what we think is not actually what we experience? Rather than think about what you experience – look at it instead – does that make sense? Do we experience ones single thought following another single thought? Does thought make the connection between thoughts? Does one thought bring another thought about – does it have that power? Is that what you experience – one thought bringing another?
Looking forward to what else you notice!
Big hugs Sarah xxx